handheld vhf question

[ronr]

I'm looking at a Standard 6watt handheld vhf for use on my yak, while fishing mostly in buzzards bay. I sometimes tow my yak with a boat and then fish from it. My question is how far can I expect the signal to travel? thanks...ron

[DaleH]

VHFs, even full size units, are line-of-sight from sending to receiving antenna, thus height is your friend. On any given day, I'd say you're really only good for a few miles at best. Your average day in/day out use might exceed that by a mile (no pun intended) or more, but when the chips are down, just be aware. Later tonight I can look up the theoretical distance calculation of a sending station 2-3' off the water to a receiving station, say a minimum of 10' off the water.

[DaleH]

Oh, FWIW that BOE Marine retailer I posted about in the "PLB Group Buy" post was selling handheld VHFs with GPS built in, by Std Horizons, for $208. I know it passed a waterproof rating (there are a few ratings), but not sure if it floats. Will get you more info if desired ... PM me if needed.

[DaleH]

FYI:

It floats and has the submersible rating JIS-7 / IPX7 of 3.3' for 30-minutes. Not bad for only $208 for a waterproof & floating VHF with built-in GPS with DSC emergency calling! Buy here. (http://www.boemarine.com/Products/STDHX850S/Default.aspx)

http://www.thegpsstore.com/images/largeimages/Standard-Horizon-HX850S-Floating-Handheld-VHF-and-GPS.jpg

Also, VHF range:

An antenna 5' off the water can theoretically send the signal 5-miles to another antenna 5' off the surface. On handhelds, it is the lack of height and not the wattage of the unit (most fixed-mount units are 25 Watts, while handhelds limited to 6W) that degrades the actual performance.

[Onshore]

[quote=DaleH;260907]FYI:It floats and has the submersible rating JIS-7 / IPX7 of 3.3' for 30-minutes. Not bad for only $208 for a waterproof & floating VHF with built-in GPS with DSC emergency calling! Buy here. (http://www.boemarine.com/Products/STDHX850S/Default.aspx)

I've been using that unit here in my kayak and canoe fishing Indian River, Banana River and Mosquito Lagoon mainly. Range is not a problem here as most marinas, USCG and USF&WS(Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge) as well as many harbormasters monitor UHF. The GPS feature was a big help a couple of weeks ago getting around in the Thousand Islanda area of the Indian River Lagoon.

[z-drive]

i'd say no more than a couple of miles on 6watts. pilots using them 100' above sea level on a bridge wing may gain a couple extra miles. right now a pilot is docking a ship 3 miles away as the crow flies (pretty much unobstructed) and is at about the 100' elevation mark. my antenna is also around 50' high and i can barely read him. he's probably on low power, but given the antenna heights that should be an indication of the low range you'll see at sea level. your transmit time at 6watts will be pretty limited on a handheld.

i'll get a few more real-life situations over the next few days if you're curious.

[ronr]

This is good info, not extrely encouraging, but good. I do use a garmin gps, so I just wanted to compliment it with some sort of portable communication. I'll have to mull it over a bit...Maybe I can sit on a couple fluffy pillows to get me up a little bit higher. thanks...ron